At our recent youth conference, Bishop Niall Coll (pictured) addressed the topic, ‘The Crucial Choice Before Gen Z’. Citing St John Henry Newman, he said that there are “three Ds” needed for faith, namely ‘disposition’, ‘decision ‘and ‘difference’, that is, a disposition towards the faith, followed by a willingness to make a decision to embrace the faith, and then a willingness to see the faith make a difference in your life.
Bishop Coll discussed the changes he is seeing among young people in their attitudes towards religion. He said that even a few years ago, when ‘woke’ ideology seemed to be at its peak, he mainly saw indifference or hostility. But now he meets young people, especially young men, who have a greater opening towards religion thanks to people such as Bishop Robert Barron, Jordan Peterson, or the historian Tom Holland and his book ‘Dominion’.
He also mentioned the book ‘The Uses of Idolatry’ by William Cavanaugh which argues that, contrary to the widespread belief, the religious impulse in people is still strong, but looking in the wrong direction towards ‘idols’ such as materialism and individualism.
He said that the search for something, for meaning, for purpose, for a higher power, is permanent.
You can watch his full talk here [1].